What started as a supposed meet-up to buy designer clothes in Palm City turned into a gunpoint robbery, a high-speed chase and a full-blown manhunt through nearby woods, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. Four teens were arrested after deputies say they lured a 14-year-old into a car, robbed him at gunpoint, then tried to outrun law enforcement until stop sticks shredded their tires. During the pursuit, investigators say the suspects tossed a rifle out of the vehicle and bolted into surrounding woods and neighborhoods before K-9 teams and the sheriff’s aviation unit tracked them down. The driver was later identified as 18-year-old Kaleb Seidel, while the other three suspects are juveniles now facing armed-robbery charges.
Text Messages, A Clothing Deal And A Trap
The sheriff’s office says the 14-year-old had been messaging about a resale deal and drove with a friend to meet the supposed sellers at Dyer Point Road and Beach Way Avenue in Palm City, as reported by WPBF. Deputies say the teen climbed into a white Kia expecting a quick sale, but was immediately threatened at gunpoint instead. After the suspects took roughly $150 and a watch, they allegedly pushed him out of the car and sped away.
Stop Sticks, A Dumped Rifle And A Foot Chase
Deputies soon locked onto a white Kia and deployed stop sticks near Pratt Whitney Road to force the car to a stop, and aerial footage showed four suspects bailing out and running from the vehicle, according to NBC6. Investigators say the group ditched what was later recovered as a .22-caliber rifle during the pursuit, then called in K-9 teams and the sheriff’s aviation unit, which helped locate three suspects hiding in the woods and a fourth tucked under a vehicle.
Charges, Juvenile Suspects And A Warning From Officials
According to TCPalm, deputies identified the driver as 18-year-old Kaleb Seidel and confirmed the other three people arrested are juveniles. Seidel was booked on armed-robbery and fleeing-and-eluding charges, while the minors face armed-robbery counts. Deputies recovered about $90 of the victim’s cash and are still searching for the missing watch. “When you're 14 years old, you're not really thinking about all the other things that could go wrong,” Major Ruben Romero told TCPalm, underscoring the sheriff’s concern that the presence of a firearm sharply escalated the situation.
